Thomas Hobbes author of such works as the ‘Leviathan’ and ‘De Cive’ has also often been regarded as a fundamental thinker in political philosophy and vital in the development of liberal thought. It could be argued however that his ideas in his work can no longer be associated to the liberalism that developed from it. This has led some to argue that Hobbes is not a liberal. In this essay I will consider whether or not Hobbes’ ideas are consistent with the basic ideals of what liberalism has come to encompass. Ideals such as a focus on the individual, individual rights and equality, a social contract based on government by consent, free market, and minimum government intervention and maximum freedom.
Pennsylvania was one of the colonies to make the most significant contributions to the perennial American values of democratic self government, educational opportunity, religious toleration, social plurality, and economic materialism. There was a constitution called “Frame of Government” that was made to give Pennsylvania the most liberal government of the colonies. This helped slaves to be freed in chosen, a treaty to help be civil with the Natives, religious freedom, and make this colony all equal men to live. This not only helped for the people to get along, but the colony to come together and become the greatest colony they can be. The only problem was the social plurality that their was many different religious groups around which was mainly the Quakers and Puritans.
Jefferson and his republicans were believers in a strong state government. Jefferson wanted each state government to be responsible for their share in paying off the nation’s debt. Hamilton thought that the debt should be equally shared by the whole nation. Disagreements like these resulted in the creation of Hamilton’s Federalist party. Hamilton created his Federalist party to help promote his goals for the United States.
We’ve seen monarchies enliven the divine right that god had supposedly given man. We’ve seen dictatorships that have impeded with our rights. We’ve seen democracies strive to become as transparent and as participatory as possible. We now find democracy as the most ideal government because of the ideals it upholds. Our age has also brought about two axial principles – tribalism and globalism.
Machiavelli Machiavelli’s The Prince is a handbook for rulers on how to run a state. Unlike previous works on this topics Machiavelli starts by describing the true nature of man. Previous works were based on an ideal model of citizens, were people are honest, loyal, law abiding, and generous. Machiavelli says that in reality “men are ungrateful, fickle, dissembling, cowardly, and jealous.” Machiavelli argues that princes must use ruling techniques that are effective given mans nature. Likewise, the prince must have qualities that are less than ideal in order to be an excellent ruler.
The Greeks believed that the emotionless art showed a sense of power. The Greeks had many plays, with the two main types being Tragedy and Comedy. A Tragedy was a drama with themes about love, hate, war, and/or betrayal. A Comedy was a way to get political messages to the public, or just to "poke fun" at a certain group, or class of people. Greece had the first known democracy.
Both types of liberals do revere the principle of the individual which can be summed up in John Stuart Mill’s quote of ‘over himself, over his own mind and body, the individual is sovereign’. Although the individual principle is respected by both types and they highlight the importance of natural rights defined as life, liberty and property by John Locke, their views of the individual do differ. Classical liberals including the utilitarian faction view the individual as highly self-interested but not to a point of conservative pessimism, this is largely defined as egoistical individualism. Some classical liberals also see the
Baumann (1987) believes in a revised liberal arts curriculum in which the studies share an interconnectedness between them so as to create a wide range of skills development and to keep each subject connected to the next. Giamatti(1988)stands behind the idea that motivation is the basis of ones experience and liberal studies is part of how that motivation is strengthened. Lagemann(2003) argues that vocation should be considered the main focus of growth when choosing ones career in higher education. Baumann, Giamatti, and Lagemann approach the topic of liberal education from different perspectives, but they share the beliefs that liberal education is beneficial to both individuals and society, and is essential to being truly educated. It can be said that liberal arts core courses define humanistic values that ignite the thought about our own, and others, vices and virtues (Lagemann).
Speech by Ban Ki-moon to the UN General Assembly 2014; What Key Principles of liberal internationalist theory are evident in the speech? Ban Ki-moons 2014 speech “From Turmoil to Peace” to the United Nations General Assembly shows improabable key ideologies of liberal internationalist theory. Ban Ki-moons speech stresses through a liberalist veiw how the world ‘ought’ to be, and what ‘ought’ to be changed in order for it to improve. Morality in this speech is very utopian, universal and teleological. Interdependance, collectivism and unity This is evident throughout his very amplified wordings showing a common theme of interdependence, collectivism and unity for solutions to the problomatic crisis he lists.
Liberalism as an ideology has a long and complex history in politics as well as philosophy. In essence the liberal tradition refers to a system of thought or ideology which emphasizes the concept of freedom and personal liberty as the purpose of government. This also implies the ability to desist and the right of opposition to established systems and rules and governance which may be seen to infringe on the ethos of freedom that forms the kernel of liberal ideologies. A simple definition of the idea of the liberal tradition is as follows. Liberalism is a political current embracing several historical and present-day ideologies that claim defense of individual liberty as the purpose of government.